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Koalas Are Now ‘Functionally’ Extinct

According
to animal campaigners, koala numbers have fallen so low they are now
‘functionally extinct’.

The
Australian Koala Foundation says there are now as few as 80,000 koalas left in
the wild, which may sound like a lot but in fact means they are unlikely to
produce a new generation.

A
‘functionally extinct’ species occurs when the population is so low it has
stopped affecting its environment, has no pairs of breeding adults left, or has
so few breeding pairs that the species could succumb to genetic disease.

According
to the foundation, there are no koalas left at all in 41 out of 128 Federal
environments that are known koala habitats.

Although
koalas have a tendency to move around and alter its habitat, therefore
sometimes making them harder to track, researchers believe numbers are in steep
decline.

Research
carried out in 2016 suggested there was around 330,000 koalas left in
Australia, however this number could be as low as 144,000 or as high as
600,000, according to the MailOnline.

Koalas
are dying out due to habitat loss from deforestation, and heatwaves caused by
climate change. According to recent studies, thousands of koalas died from
dehydration last year after an intense heatwave in the country.

Koalas
have been listed as a ‘vulnerable’ species since 2012 on the Red List, compiled
by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Between
1890 and 1927, around 8 million koalas were reportedly shipped to London after
being shot for their fur.

Deborah
Tabart, chairman of the Koala Foundation, has called for the Australian prime
minister to take urgent action to save the native species.

She
said:

''I am
calling on the new Prime Minister after the May election to enact the Koala
Protection Act (KPA) which has been written and ready to go since 2016.''

''The
plight of the Koala now falls on his shoulders.''

Koalas
are listed as vulnerable in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian
Capital Territory. And though they are not listed as vulnerable in Victoria or
South Australia, local populations are thought to have already gone extinct.

The
term ‘functionally extinct’ describes a species that has declined to such a low
point that it no longer plays a significant role in its ecosystem.

Koalas
are known to have played a significant role in Australia’s ecosystem, with
fossil records dating back around 30 million years. The help keep forests
healthy by eating the upper leaves of trees, and fertilising the forest floor
with their droppings.

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